University Challenge

[cloughie]

As with UC, Pointless appears to have many bright participants for whom classical music has total avoided their radar, even Alexander Armstrong guessed Schubert but had not heard of Die Schone Mullerin.

[Historian]

Was it just me, or were there more Art History questions than usual?

[gradus]

I thought the same.

[Bella Kemp]

There were certainly more Art History questions and more Arts-based questions in general. For the first time I wondered if questions have always been chosen to match the specialisms of the contestants.

[Richard Tarleton]

Was it just me, or were there more Art History questions than usual?

And fewer on the periodic table....

[Dave2002]

And fewer on the periodic table....

With added complications involving countries, flags or internet domains. Not so many peculiar number ones, either, such as add up the moons of Saturn and Jupiter, divide by 3 and add the number of elements between Manganese and Antimony in the Periodic Table. No questions about quarks or atomic states either. No questions involving historical date calculations, IIRC.

[Oakapple]

Much the same situation prevails on Only Connect. Last Monday no one was able to identify the Thieving Magpie overture.

[Boilk]

Much the same situation prevails on Only Connect. Last Monday no one was able to identify the Thieving Magpie overture.

...indeed, not identifying the classical music clue was particularly odd given that the team in question (The Choristers) are all members of the Crouch End Festival Chorus!

[Rolmill]

...not identifying the classical music clue was particularly odd given that the team in question (The Choristers) are all members of the Crouch End Festival Chorus!

Yes, but they got the pop music elements of the question! (A pretty strong performance from them overall though.)

I have noticed that choral singers often know surprisingly little about (and have surprisingly little interest in) non-choral music, even by the same composers - so choral society members who know and love Dream of Gerontius or Belshazzar's Feast frequently have never heard Elgar's or Walton's symphonies, for example. I don't think the same applies in reverse, orchestral and instrumental players tend to have a better awareness of choral music. Just my experience.

[BBMmk2]

King’s London, have Anne Dudley, and with the music questions, she only had two right!

[LMcD]

I'm afraid I got pretty irritated at the amount of time teams were allowed when conferring before answering bonus questions.

[antongould]

Skellers seems to be captain of Birmingham City tomorrow night .... I thought it was Gil Merrick .......

[BBMmk2]

Skellers seems to be captain of Birmingham City tomorrow night .... I thought it was Gil Merrick .......

He was rather good last night too! It seems that whenever there’s classical music artists are on, they do not know much about it!!!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

It seems that whenever there’s classical music artists are on, they do not know much about it!!!

Yes - Elin Manahan Thomas was rather out of her "comfort zone" last night, wasn't she!

Mind you - the Vicar was a bit lost on his Biblical characters ... and the Head of Ofsted came across as someone who wasn't sure how to tie her own shoelaces (which comes as no surprise to any teacher in the country ) No spoilers, but I was personally very happy with last night's result!

[Andy Freude]

It seems that whenever there’s classical music artists are on, they do not know much about it!!!

Experts. And so, if you are in a History Department and specialise in the pre-Conquest era, no one expects you to know what the Battle of Agincourt was all about.